ANCENT ARTIFACT?
ONE DAY A MAN VISITED AN ART MUSEUM AND FOUND AN ANCIENT CLAY POT. IT
WAS UNDER A GLASS BOX, UNTOUCHABLE AND WAS DISPLAYED WITH A FACT CARD: 'ANCIENT BABYLON, CLAY POT, CIRCA 2000 BC.'
IN HIS MIND HE ACCEPTED THESE FACTS AS TRUTH. BUT HE SOON BEGAN TO WONDER, 'HOW DO I KNOW THESE
THINGS ARE TRUE? IS IT REALLY CLAY? DOES IT SAY 'MADE IN CHINA' ON THE BOTTOM?
NOT DOUBTING
FROM A PESSIMISTIC HEART...JUST IN SEARCH OF REAL TRUTH.
THE JOURNEY
BEGINS
THE NEXT DAY, AS HE WAS READING A TRAVEL MAGAZINE, HE NOTICED AN AD THAT READ,
'VISIT ANCIENT BABYLON AND EXPLORE HISTORY FIRST HAND. GO ON AN ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG.'
PICTURED NEXT
TO IT WAS A CLAY POT.
THE MAN SIGNED UP...
THE ENCOUNTER
WHILE ON HIS ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG, THE MAN WAS SCOOPING DIRT WITH A SMALL SHOVEL
WHEN HE TAPPED SOMETHING HARD. HE QUICKLY BEGAN TO REACH HIS DUSTY HANDS INTO THE EARTH AND FEEL HIS WAY AROUND
THE OBJECT.
HE PULLED OUT A FIVE INCH TALL, CHIPPED CLAY POT WITH A BROKEN HANDLE. THE LEAD ARCHEOLOGIST
RAN OVER TO SEE THE MAN'S FIND. 'DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU HAVE THERE? IT'S A CLAY POT AND YOU
DUG IT UP IN WHAT USED TO BE ANCIENT BABYLON...IT MUST BE 4000 YEARS OLD!'
HE THOUGHT ABOUT HIS TRIP TO THE
ART MUSUEM. THE ART MUSUEM WAS TRUE AFTER ALL.
COLLISION
WITH TRUTH
THE MAN WENT HOME BELIEVING THE TRUTH...THE TRUTH THAT WAS THERE THE WHOLE
TIME. HE JUST HAD TO 'ENCOUNTER' IT FOR HIMSELF...AND NOT MERELY BE TOLD WHAT TO BELIEVE.
WE THINK
YOUTH MINISTRY SHOULD BE A GUIDED ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG...NOT AN ART MUSUEM. STUDENTS WILL THEM BELIEVE THE TRUTH FOREVER...IF
WE HELP THEM FIND IT. WE JUST HAVE TO SHOW THEM WHERE TO DIG.
